camping

“You’re staying in the field, so we should let you know about the grizzly,” the park ranger says as he hands us a couple of brochures about keeping a “bare” campsite.

It turns out that it’s calving season for the elk here, and the elk love to hang out in the field where we’re staying. This is apparent as soon as we walk onto the field, gear in hand, and see that everywhere is a toilet to an elk.

Calving season means easy pickings for the bears. Normally, they wouldn’t come this close to the campgrounds, but this bear must have heard through the grapevine that there’s a feast to be had.

There’s nothing like a sticky coating of sweat and dirt to make you feel one with the outdoors. After a long day in the wilderness, it’s a welcome sign that you’ve really been roughing it. But, for all the satisfaction it might bring, there comes a moment when you realize that you’re still going to be out here for a few days, with no access to a washing machine or shower.

So, how do you keep the grimy feelings at bay while you’re on a camping trip? Let’s take a look at a few helpful items that you may have forgotten.

“When we reach the top, find somewhere to sit silently and look out at the floodplain,” Rob says to our little group as we weave (somewhat clumsily) up the rock formation that is Ubirr. We are in Kakadu National Park, in Australia’s Northern Territory. It is the largest national park in the country, larger than the nation of Isreal. A wilderness of wallabies and four-wheel drives, living side-by-side.

Knee deep in snow is not how I imagined my birthday weekend would turn out. A year ago today I was on HaeundaeBeach in Busan, South Korea. Today, I am cursing the ice and snow in Jasper National Park that threatens my weekend ambitions and abolishes any plans of hiking the trail today.